In the case of M/s MRT Music v. Paramvah Studios Private Limited & Ors., the Delhi High Court dealt with a dispute involving copyright infringement claims brought by MRT Music, a prominent regional music company, against Paramvah Studios and other associated defendants. The case revolved around the unauthorized use of two copyrighted songs owned by MRT Music in the Kannada film ‘Bachelor Party’, which was released on an OTT platform owned by one of the defendants..
MRT Music asserted that it held exclusive copyright over the songs “Nyaya Ellide” from the 1982 film ‘Nyaya Ellide’ and “Omme Ninnanu” from the 1981 film ‘Gaali Maathu’. These rights were acquired through an assignment deed from the previous rights holder, Sangeetha, in 2020. It claimed that they had been approached by an employee of the defendant studio seeking a license to use the songs in their upcoming film. However, after initial discussions, the defendants stopped responding, leading MRT Music to believe that no further action would be taken. To its surprise, MRT Music later discovered that the songs had been used without permission in the film ‘Bachelor Party’, which was available for streaming on the OTT platform.
MRT Music further alleged that the defendants not only used the songs without authorization but also exploited clips from the film containing the songs on social media, specifically on Instagram, thereby continuing the infringement. he plaintiff emphasized that the unauthorized use of its copyrighted works caused significant financial loss and reputational damage. MRT Music argued that the defendants’ actions were not only a violation of its statutory rights under the Copyright Act, 1957, but also set a dangerous precedent that could encourage others to bypass obtaining proper licenses.
The court found that MRT Music had established a prima facie case of copyright infringement. The court agreed that irreparable harm would likely occur if the defendants were not restrained from continuing their infringing activities. Considering the submissions, the court granted an interim injunction in favor of MRT Music, ordering the defendants to cease the unauthorized use of the songs and to take down the infringing content from Instagram. Furthermore, the court directed the defendants to deposit ₹20 lakhs, equivalent to the license fees for the two songs, as an interim measure, to be held by the court.
The case was scheduled for further hearing on December 4, 2024, to continue addressing the issues raised and to determine if any additional remedies or actions required.
Citation: M/s MRT Music v. Paramvah Studios Private Limited & Ors., CS(COMM) 680/2024 (H.C. Delhi Aug. 12, 2024). Available on: https://indiankanoon.org/doc/134580462/
Disclaimer
The case note/s in this blog post have been written by IP Attorneys at BananaIP Counsels based on their review and understanding of the Judgments. It may be noted that other IP attorneys and experts in the field may have different opinions about the cases or arrive at different conclusions therefrom. It is advisable to read the Judgments before making any decisions based on the case notes.
If you have any questions, or if you wish to speak with an IP expert/attorney, please reach us at: contact@bananaip.com or 91-80-26860414/24/34.
